Waterfront City Dbayeh

For the past few decades property development has become big business across the Middle East. Within Beirut, one of the most exciting projects of recent years has been the Waterfront City Dbayeh.

This mixed-use community project is located on the Mediterranean Sea, some 15 kilometres from the capital, Beirut. The growing city offers quality residential, retail, hospitality and business opportunities designed to reinforce Lebanon’s position as an economical hub and the regional beacon of progress.

“This destination located on the 700-berth La Marina Joseph Khoury, is already under construction blending maritime lifestyle and vibrant neighborhood environments with leisure, hospitality, business and retail components to deliver an unparalleled living experience,” states the official website.

“With over twice the land size as that of the marina in Monte Carlo Monaco, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to access 2,000 intelligently designed living spaces of varying sizes, accompanied by a mix of world class shopping, numerous dining options and unique entertainment offerings. Health clubs and green parks further add to the community experience. A state-of-the-art business park, with efficient designs and ample car parking, along with leading international hotels will round out the perfect setting in this prime location.

“Welcome to Waterfront City, the Natural Choice,” it continues.

Since its launch, The Waterfront City master-planned community has continually evolved.

In January 2013, news broke that Majid Al Futtaim Properties had awarded a AED: 826 million contract to an ACC-MATTA joint venture for the construction of the Waterfront City in Lebanon.

The contract covered the enlarged first phase of the project, located along the Dbayeh coast in Lebanon, comprising of a promenade with restaurants, retail, residential units and public spaces amenities.

“This appointment is for the full delivery of an extended Phase 1. And it is another substantial investment into the Lebanese economy both in terms of money spent and job creation during construction and permanent roles on completion,” Samer Bissat, senior project director at Waterfront City, said in a statement at the time.

He added that the project is the second investment in Lebanon made by Majid Al Futtaim Properties – the first being Beirut City Centre.

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 13 international markets, employing 27,000 people, and achieving the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the Middle East.

Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 17 shopping malls, 11 hotels and three mixed-use communities in MENA, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, City Centre malls, and also 4 community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. It holds exclusive rights to the Carrefour franchise in 38 markets across Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, operating a portfolio of over 60 hypermarkets and over 70 supermarkets in 13 countries.

In May 2015 it was announced that Waterfront City Dbayeh had appointed Lebanese contractor, A. R. Hourie, to commence the second phase of the project

The announcement confirmed the main contractor for the construction and delivery of the residential plots of “The Piazza and Boulevard” districts., marking another important milestone for the progress of Waterfront City project, endorsing the strong foundations of the project in all of its phases, and the continuous faith in Lebanon as a country resilient to all its challenges.

Contracts on behalf of both Waterfront City and A.R. Hourie were mutually signed to commence enabling works, on the anticipated “Piazza and Boulevard” Residences aiming to be delivered by 2018.

An illustration of just how exclusive this development is, can be measured by the fact that at the time of the appointment, 80 per cent of the second phase had already been sold to buyers who are mainly Lebanese, a majority of which are living in Lebanon and some abroad.

These unique districts will comprise of 8 buildings with approximately 282 units and they will be adjacent to the main restaurants and the marina area with its vast array of retail and leisure choices, offering tenants and visitors an unraveled contemporary lifestyle within these living environments.

Mr Samer Bissat, Senior Development Director at Waterfront City Majid Al Futtaim Properties- Communities commented on this occasion: “We have diligently studied several proposals from contractors who were interested to partner with us in building Waterfront City. The appointment of A. R. Hourie as our contractor for the “Piazza and Boulevard” Residences is a well- earned partnership, with a clear understanding of our vision and needs, as well as their track record of quality delivery. A. R. Hourie has proved its merit on a number of projects across the country and we are confident they will meet and exceed our standards that have been set for this project, including the LEED, BREEAM and ARZ building standards.”

The second Phase of the project will comprise of 6 buildings in total, with residences ranging in size from 75 to 200 square metres.

The vision described by Bissat, is one of a sustainable community and encompasses assets related to water, transportation, energy and waste.

“Waterfront City’s philosophy is to be a unique project opportunity that promotes eco-friendly growth of the urban environment. It is the creation of a sustainable waterfront community that fosters sustainable values. Waterfront City is designed and will be executed in an original, green, eco-friendly environment while addressing needs of all ages and offers a multitude of active mixed use,” the company website explains.

An important element of the development is its LEED focus; an internationally recognized environmental Assessment methodology originating from the USA. The ratings achievable under this are Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum in ascending order of environmental value.

The Waterfront City Business Park is also being designed and will be run in an eco-friendly environment addressing the requirements of the LEED CS rating system targeting the Silver certification level.

The business park will is being constructed according to several standards: elements: minimizing construction pollution impact, preserving and improving ecological features, proximity to local amenities and public transportation systems. Additionally the park offices will include water efficient fixtures which reduce water consumption by 30 per cent, and water efficient landscaping which will use 50 per cent less water.

Waterfront City Dbayeh is set to give this part of Lebanon a major uplift and should help to promote sustainability and economic development for many years to come.